Taking The Easy Way Out
by Jadeey
Summary: Hermione's son starts his first year at Hogwarts. SS/HG Rated R for adult themes/language in later chapters
1. Nicolas

Disclaimer : I'm not making any money off this. I don't own any of it. You all get the picture.   
  
  
A/N : This story is a Snape/Hermione story so if that bothers you then you may as well stop reading right now. Also in this story Ron and Harry are a couple, they are not main characters so I will not focus on their relationship at all but if even the idea of a homosexual relationship scares or disgusts you, you probably shouldn't read any further…   
  
  
With that on with the story!! Hope you like it… >>>   
  
  
_'Cause I miss you, body and soul so strong that it takes my breath away.  
And I breathe you into my heart and pray for the strength to stand today   
'Cause I love you whether it's wrong or right  
And though I can't be with you tonight  
Know my heart is by your side  
(If you are not the one, Daniel Bedingfield)_   
  
  
**Chapter 1 – Nicolas**   
  
  
Severus Snape sighed in frustration and looked over his lesson plans once more. Of course, they had been finished for weeks but at the beginning of every year he read them over the night before the students arrived. It was more habit than anything else; he never made any changes to them.   
  
  
Snape leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, wondering, as he always did, why on earth he was still teaching after all these years. Voldemort was long gone and Dumbledore had retired two years before so he couldn't pretend it was because of them. If he was honest with himself, and he generally was, he did actually enjoy teaching. Out of every class of dunderheads there was usually one who loved potions and who excelled in it enough to make up for the rest of them.   
  
  
He remembered the two students he had taught thirteen years ago, both had been brilliant at potions and he had never enjoyed teaching more than in those seven years they had been his students. Unfortunately he couldn't really think back on that time with fondness. One, Draco Malfoy, had turned to Lord Voldemort and used his potions skills for evil before he had even finished his seventh year. The other? Well the other was 'her', the one who had shown him what love was like, how good it could be. No, thinking about her didn't bring fond memories, it only brought pain, the pain of knowing what could have been, of what he had lost and could never know again.   
  
  
He sighed once more and rose from his desk, running a hand through his long dark hair. He may as well try and get some sleep he decided, the students were arriving the next day and sleep would probably be hard to come by for the next year. Every night there seemed to be some student determined to interrupt his peace and cause trouble. Severus Snape was by no means an egotistical person; he was, in reality, plagued by self doubt and feelings of inadequacy. Yet he always felt that all of the student's mischief was designed specifically to annoy him.   
  
  
A cat meowed from a basket in the corner of the bedroom when Snape entered. It got up stretched and came towards Snape purring and rubbing up against his legs. Snape scooped the animal into his arms and gave it a small hug. No-one who knew Snape would have believed that even if they had seen it with their own eyes, everyone seemed to think he was incapable of love. The students probably thought he had a snake as a familiar, if he had a familiar at all.   
  
  
"The school year starts tomorrow Hermie." Snape spoke softly to the cat. "Another year of trying to get those dunderheads to actually learn something. Another year of being alone." He closed his eyes against the pain of those words. He generally tried not to think about the fact that he was alone. There was no-one he could blame for that but himself, he had chosen to join Voldemort and he had chosen to make himself into a man that no woman in their right mind could love. He had pushed away the one woman who had ever had feelings for him. Snape hugged Hermie harder and shook himself.   
  
  
Dropping Hermie to the bed he grabbed for a vial of potion that sat on the nightstand. Uncorking it he took a large gulp and got into bed. "I know, I know." He said when the cat eyed him reproachfully. "I should give up the dreamless sleep potion. But if you had to suffer the dreams I do, then you would want to take it too." With that he closed his eyes and lay waiting for sleep to come.   
  
  
>>>   
  
  
Platform 9 ¾ was teeming with Hogwarts students and their families. A dark haired boy stood in his brand new Hogwarts robes holding a cage that held his familiar, an Owl named Othello, trying to ignore the curious looks that other students were sending him. Well the curious looks weren't aimed at him exactly, he knew that. They were aimed at the people who had arrived with him to see him off.   
  
  
"Are you sure you've got everything? Did you remember all your textbooks?" A woman with slightly out of control hair asked him. The woman was not what you would call beautiful, she was more the sort of person who you looked at once and then kept going, if you looked at all in the first place.   
  
  
"Mum! Stop fussing would you! I've remembered everything, and if I haven't you can owl it to me tomorrow." The boy said with a scowl, although he wasn't really angry. He understood she was just suffering that whole empty nest syndrome thing, he had read all about it and had prepared himself for this.   
  
  
"Don't worry about him forgetting his books Hermione, he's your son after all. If he's forgotten anything it'll be his pyjamas or something not his books!" A man with dark hair, brilliant green eyes and a lighting bolt shaped scar on his forehead said with a grin.   
  
  
"Harry's right 'Mione. Did you ever forget any of your books?" Ron Weasley asked Hermione in a teasing voice.   
  
  
"Oh leave me alone you two. Go and give autographs to your admirers or something" Hermione said, gesturing at all the people who were surreptitiously sending them glances.   
  
  
Ron grimaced slightly "Yeah we should have realised that all of us being here would attract attention. Sorry about that kiddo."   
  
  
The boy shrugged "I don't mind being associated with the Witches and Wizards who defeated Voldemort. I could never have gotten away from it anyway, it's not going to take a genius to realise that I know you guys."   
  
  
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley and Justin Finch-Fletchley had all been there at the final defeat of Voldemort. They were all highly decorated war heroes and extremely famous because of it. Hermione had worked behind the scenes as a strategist and had not been there at the final battle due to having a young son, so she was not as well known to the public as the others.   
  
  
Ginny and Justin were married now and had a 4 year old son called Michael. Ron and Harry had realised, and finally admitted, that their feelings towards each other were more than just that of friends and were the proud adoptive fathers of an 18 month old daughter named Lilly. All of these people were there to see the boy, Nicolas Granger, off on his first year at Hogwarts.   
  
  
"Nico, it looks like you better get on the train now buddy" Harry said ruffling his hair. This action received a very angry glare from Nicolas but Harry just laughed.   
  
  
"Oh Nic, I'm going to miss you so much!" Hermione suddenly wailed. "You'll owl me straight after the sorting won't you?"   
  
  
"Of course I will mum. Don't worry, everything will be fine." Nicolas stepped into his mother's embrace. "I love you" he said softly so that the others couldn't overhear him. He loved his mother more than anyone else in the world, but was always very shy about showing it publicly. The fact that he even allowed her to hug him in such a big crowd of people showed just how much he was going to miss her.   
  
  
Nicolas gave a lopsided smile to his mother's friends. "Thanks for coming to see me off." He then placed a quick kiss on little Lilly's cheek and punched Michael lightly on the arm, making the small boy's eyes light up with delight, he absolutely adored his big playmate 'Nico'. Nicolas walked slowly towards the Hogwarts Express, turning, he grinned and gave the group of people there to see him off a small bow then disappeared from sight into the train.   
  
  
>>>   
  
  
Snape stood waiting in the entrance hall. When Hagrid knocked at the door he opened it and glared out at the first years who stood quivering there.   
  
  
"The firs' years, Professor Snape," Hagrid stated, the exact words he used every year.   
  
  
"Obviously," Snape replied dryly.   
  
  
He turned to address the first years "Well come along, we don't have all day." As the first years hesitantly stepped into the entrance hall Snape gestured around him. "This is Hogwarts, your home for the next seven years. The sorting will be starting in about ten minutes. The four houses are Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, once you are sorted you will spend the next seven years in that house, living and attending classes with your housemates."   
  
  
This was a very abridged version of the speech Professor McGonagall used to give the students, but Snape hated this part of his job as deputy to McGonagall, the headmistress of Hogwarts. He was still surprised she even made him do it. He wasn't exactly the most welcoming figure for their first moment inside the halls of Hogwarts. Besides, she still read out the names of the students to be sorted so why couldn't she welcome them as well?   
  
  
He dragged himself from these thoughts and looked back at the first years again. "Through this way." He barked, making a few of them jump in fright.   
  
  
They walked through the entrance hall and into the Great Hall where the sorting hat was set up at the front. "Line up along there and when Professor McGonagall calls your name sit on the stool and put the sorting hat on your head." Snape glared around. "Understand?" No-one answered him but he saw a few nods and that was enough for him. With that he left the first years and stalked up to the high table where he sat in his usual place and tried to close his ears to the sorting hat's stupid song and the sorting.   
  
  
"Granger, Nicolas!" Snape was jolted into reality at that. He wondered at the name, he only knew of one Granger in the magical world. He watched as Nicolas Granger made his way to the stool and sat down. It didn't take the sorting hat long to declare which house Nicolas belonged in.   
  
  
"SLYTHERIN" The sorting hat called out and Snape watched Nicolas calmly make his way over to the Slytherin table.   
  
  
'Was he related to Her?' Snape wondered. 'Maybe a young cousin. Certainly not her son.' He dismissed the thought as soon as it came to him. 'No definitely not her son, she was far too careful to accidentally get pregnant. She had certainly always been careful enough when they… No!' He scolded himself. 'Don't start thinking about her.' Even as he told himself this he knew it was too late. Hermione was never far from his thoughts anyway.   
  
  
When the sorting was finished Snape rose from his seat and headed over to the Slytherin first years to take them to the common room and their dorms. He used the opportunity to study Nicolas and try to discern whether he really was a relative of Hermione's. Nicolas was a tall, lean boy with short, spiky black hair and deep brown eyes that seemed to hold a seriousness and intelligence that belied his years. Snape couldn't see much similarity between him and Hermione, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that Nicolas was related to her. 'Perhaps that's because you want him to be, to provide you with some link to her no matter how small,' he berated himself.   
  
  
Snape led the Slytherin first years into the Snake Den and showed them to their dorms. "You will get your timetables at breakfast tomorrow morning, so make sure you are there on time," he told them before sweeping out of the room and to his quarters. Once there he realised he had barely spoken to his first years other than that remark about their timetables. While he was not generally even that talkative with non-Slytherin students, unless it was to make a sarcastic comment, he always tried to make an effort with the Slytherins.   
  
  
"Damn Mr Granger." He said quietly to himself. "Bringing back memories I was finally forgetting" He shook his head knowing, even as he said it that it wasn't true, memories of Hermione were no more forgotten than they had been twelve and a half years ago. As if to emphasise that point, Hermie came trotting over with a meow. "Yes Severus you've really done a good job of forgetting her, you even named your cat after her!" Snape muttered sarcastically. "Albeit a name she would have killed you if you had ever called her," he allowed himself a small smile at the thought of what Hermione would have done to him if he had ever butchered her name into Hermie when talking to her.   
  
  
With that he could no longer hold back the memories that had been threatening to overwhelm him ever since he had heard the name Nicolas Granger at the sorting. He sank down onto his bed and closed his eyes, letting the memories wash over him.   
  
  
>>>   
  
  
At her small flat in London Hermione was lying in her bed thinking about Nicolas's first day and wondering what Snape had made of him. Would he make the connection between Nic and herself? Did he ever think about her, wonder what had become of her? Or was the name Hermione Granger one that he had forgotten long ago? She felt a dull ache at the thought he might have forgotten her, when she still remembered their relationship as clearly as if it was yesterday.   
  
  
>>>   
  
  
A/N Okay that's it for now. I had planned on completing the story before I posted it but then decided that I would see whether it is well received or if I should just give up on the idea. So reviews are welcome, even begged for! Criticism is welcome, as long as it is constructive. 


	2. Memories

Disclaimer: I own none of it.   
  
  
A/N Ok well here is the revised chapter 2. Hopefully you all enjoy it. Thank you to all who have reviewed so far.   
  
  
Sorry to those who replied offering to beta read that I didn't get back to. My "darling" nephew came to visit and decided it would be fun to delete all of my email so I lost your addresses and couldn't reply. I have a beta reader now and big hugs to him for agreeing to do it!   
  
  
I have Hermione completing an Honours project with Snape as her supervisor in this chapter. This is a plot device that I know many other authors have used. However my decision to do this is dedicated to MY university honours supervisor who I have rather a large crush on, not that I would ever tell him that!!   
  
  
One final note before the story. I am from New Zealand so some spelling etc might be slightly different…   
  
  
>>>   
  
  
_It was the first time someone looked beyond the rumours and lies and saw the man inside. (Hazard, Richard Marx)_   
  
  
**Chapter 2 – Memories**   
  
  
Snape couldn't identify the moment when the annoying know-it-all school girl had become someone he respected, even liked. He guessed that underneath it all he had always respected her mind, she really was brilliant. But his feelings of respect for her had always been clouded by the fact that she was a Gryffindor and a friend of Harry Potter's. He had occasionally idly wished she had been sorted into Slytherin so he could have treated her differently in class. Then she would do something that irritated him beyond belief, such as helping that idiot Longbottom, and all his generous thoughts about her would disappear.   
  
  
In Hermione's seventh year Snape was her supervisor for an Honours project. In the beginning it had been awful, practically every second meeting ended with Snape yelling at her and telling her to leave. As the year wore on she slowly got under his skin and he had to admit that she wasn't just clever, she was truly amazing. She grasped concepts in minutes that he had grappled with for far longer. She came up with concepts and ideas for potions that even he had never thought of and that, by rights, should have been well out of the capabilities of a seventeen year old.   
  
  
It wasn't her brilliance that made him fall in love with her though, sure it made him respect her which was something that he hadn't been able to do previously, but it didn't make him love her. No, it was her innocence, her trusting, her loyalty, her courage that he fell in love with. Dare he say it, it was all of those things which made her a Gryffindor. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone.   
  
  
It went completely against the grain for Severus Snape to fall in love with a student. Hell, when it came down to it, it went completely against the grain for Severus Snape to fall in love, no matter who it was with. So he resisted it for a long time, always held himself back. He refused to admit what he was feeling, convincing himself it was nothing more than respect for a student, and later on a friend.   
  
  
Hermione stayed on at Hogwarts after her seventh year. With the war in full swing she had decided that it was stupid for her to go to university. She was needed in the war effort and was far more useful staying at Hogwarts working with Professor Snape on potions that could help with the war. Professor Dumbledore had agreed, provided she also take some university papers by correspondence, so as not to give up her education completely.   
  
  
Once Hermione was no longer a student of his, Severus had dropped some of his defences. They had become friends, often seeking each other out at mealtimes as well as spending all their time together in the dungeons doing research. There had been rumours among the staff, and the odd teasing comment from the more daring staff members, that perhaps there was more to the friendship than either Snape or Hermione were letting on. They both just laughed these comments off. Well, Hermione laughed them off, while Snape glared or snarled at whoever commented.   
  
  
Yes, Severus remembered how long he had denied that he had feelings for Hermione, right up until the day before the students were due back from their summer holidays after her seventh year. Funny that after so many denials, to himself as well as to others, it was such a small incident, no more special than a hundred other moments they had shared together, that had led them both to admit their feelings. Actually for Severus, it had taken until that moment for him to even realise the true extent of his feelings.   
  
  
_ (flashback) _   
  
  
Snape decided to just go for it and invite her to Diagon Alley with him. After all he enjoyed her company and she would be helpful with selecting the potion ingredients. He continued to tell himself it was fine, innocent and she wouldn't get the wrong idea, all the way up the stairs to her chambers.   
  
  
When he arrived outside the door to her chambers he raised his hand to knock, then suddenly wondered why he hadn't just called her by floo. 'Oh well I'm here now I might as well knock.' He sighed to himself. With that he gave the door a firm knock and stood waiting.   
  
  
A minute later the door opened and Hermione stood there in a pair of blue pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt that had a picture of a kitten on the front. She was looking extremely sleep ruffled. Snape felt his stomach flip when he saw her. He wanted her more at that moment than he had ever wanted anyone in his life.   
  
  
He felt vague surprise at her attire; he would have expected her to be a nightdress person not a pyjama bottom and t-shirt person. Then he wondered just when he had considered her nightwear enough to be surprised that she was not wearing what he would have expected.   
  
  
He realised later, that it was at that moment, when she opened the door in her pyjamas, that he fell in love with her. He had no idea why that was the catalyst but he always identified that moment as the one.   
  
  
"Oh. I didn't mean to wake you. It's early, I'll come back later." Snape said stiffly, feeling very flustered and trying extremely hard to hide it. He couldn't help noticing that she wasn't wearing a bra under the t-shirt and her nipples had hardened with the cold. He started backing away before he started to blush or something equally horrible.   
  
  
"Severus, come back here. I wasn't actually asleep; I was just lying in bed trying to convince myself to get up. I should thank you for providing me with suitable motivation by knocking on my door." Hermione said smiling gently at him. She had noticed his embarrassment at finding her in pyjamas and found that her amusement about his embarrassment kept her own embarrassment about her appearance at bay.   
  
  
She knew now was not the time to tease him, he was liable to just bolt, so she stepped back from the door slightly and spoke softly. "Why don't you come in? I'll put on something more appropriate and you can tell me whatever you came here for."   
  
  
He nodded his agreement and stepped into her sitting room, closing the door behind him. "I have to go to Diagon Alley to pick up some potion ingredients for the student stores. I was wondering if…" He stopped suddenly when he noticed her shivering.   
  
  
"I'm sorry." He said immediately. "You're cold, I should have realised." With that he took off his cloak, stepped forward and put it around her. He was standing extremely close to her now and couldn't bring himself to take away his arm. Neither of them noticed the absurdity of the fact that he gave her his cloak when they were in her quarters, where all of her own clothes were located.   
  
  
Hermione felt her breath catch when he stepped forward and put the cloak around her. She looked up at him and suddenly decided to hell with the consequences, she could deal with them later. All that mattered in this moment was him and the fact that he hadn't yet taken his arm away.   
  
  
It appeared that he had decided the same thing because as she started to stretch her lips up to his, he was bending down to her. Their lips caught in a kiss that was so full of need it made Hermione ache for him. She moaned slightly against him and opened her mouth slightly, running her tongue over his lips. His mouth opened immediately, allowing her tongue entry. For a few minutes they just kissed, revelling in it, then his hands began to wander up underneath her t-shirt. She moaned again when he found her erect nipple and pulled her mouth from his slightly.   
  
  
"Maybe we should go somewhere a little more comfortable." She said, hoping like crazy he didn't just bolt for the door.   
  
  
He looked at her and she could see the desire in his black eyes. "By all means," he growled with a small smile.   
  
  
_ (end flashback) _   
  
  
They had gone to bed that day, Hermione had given her virginity to him and in return he had given her his heart. Snape was an all or nothing kind of guy. He had been fine when he had been blissfully oblivious to how much he desired Hermione, but once he had admitted it to himself he hadn't been able to turn the feelings back off. He had to be with her, to just remain friends was not an option for him.   
  
  
Snape knew he had not been an easy partner. He was still as sarcastic and grumpy as ever, even after him and Hermione had gotten together. When it came to Hermione he did soften slightly, only enough that those who really knew him would notice the difference, but for him it was a huge achievement.   
  
  
Lying in his bed, over twelve years after their break-up, Snape still felt surprise that Hermione had put up with him. In his contrite moments, after he had said something particularly vicious to her, she had always just shrugged her shoulders and told him that she had fallen in love with him even if he was a sarcastic bastard and she couldn't imagine him any other way.   
  
  
He guessed that if he hadn't ended it with her, she would have eventually become tired of it and left him anyway. Even after all this time, thinking about breaking up with her left him with a sick feeling in his stomach. It was the single worst moment of his life. He would rather face Voldemort and the Cruciatus curse a hundred times over than have to go through that again.   
  
  
_ (flashback) _   
  
  
Snape apparated to Malfoy Manor, carefully schooling his face into a mask of indifference before going to meet his host. The last thing he wanted to be doing right now was attending a dark revel, well it was slightly preferable to be at a dark revel than having to prostrate himself at his 'master's' feet only to suffer hours of Cruciatus for some imagined infraction. But what he really wanted to do right now was curl up in bed with Hermione and pretend that the rest of the world didn't exist, that he had never heard of Lord Voldemort and had never taken the dark mark.   
  
  
Instead he was here at Malfoy Manor, destined to spend the evening pretending to be civil to people who he called friends, but whom, in reality, he couldn't stand. Not for the first time Severus was glad he had never enjoyed these things and had never actively participated. Even when he had been a true death eater he had hung about in the shadows, leaving at the earliest possible opportunity.   
  
  
"Ah Severus old friend. So glad you could make it." Lucius Malfoy's insincere voice cut into his thoughts.   
  
  
"Lucius." Snape greeted Malfoy with a nod of his head. "A pleasure as always." His voice was dripping with insincerity but Malfoy either didn't notice or chose to ignore it.   
  
  
"What is this I hear about you and a little mudblood?" Lucius asked with a smirk. "A student from Draco's year isn't she?"   
  
  
"Hermione Granger." A voice said. Draco emerged from behind his father and shot a smirk at his old teacher. "Good evening Professor Snape," he drawled.   
  
  
"I'm not your teacher anymore Draco, you can call me Severus." Snape snarled while inwardly struggling to maintain his composure. He had hoped Lucius and the other Death Eaters would not find out about Hermione. When it really came down to it he guessed he should be happy it had taken them six months to find out, considering the rumours that had been flying around even before they were actually together.   
  
  
"Granger's a toy, a bit of fun. Celibacy's not all it's cracked up to be." Snape spoke in a bored voice, being careful to keep all emotion out of his words.   
  
  
"A toy hmm?" Lucius said, clearly disbelieving. "Strange, my sources tell me that you are hardly ever seen out of her company. That hardly seems like a toy to me."   
  
  
"Believe what you like. She's good entertainment, beyond that she's nothing." Snape turned to walk away but Lucius's voice stopped him in his tracks.   
  
  
"Be careful old friend. I would hate for anything to happen to your little mudblood girlfriend." Lucius spoke idly but Snape knew the threat was anything but idle. Lucius had long suspected that Snape was still a spy for the Order but because the Dark Lord seemed to disagree he had not been able to act on those suspicions. To hurt Hermione was exactly the sort of thing Lucius would do to get at Snape.   
  
  
Snape turned back around and shook his head. "It would be a pity to lose her; she is exceptionally good at what she does. I suspect she practiced on most of the males in Gryffindor house while she was a student. However I'm sure she is not irreplaceable." He drawled.   
  
  
"Really?" Draco piped up. "Perhaps I could borrow her sometime."   
  
  
Snape turned to Draco, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I do not like to share; you would do well to remember that Draco. Find your own pet." With that he stalked away.   
  
  
>>>   
  
  
When Snape returned to Hogwarts late that night Hermione was waiting for him in his rooms.   
  
  
"How did it go?" She asked him in sleepy voice, she had just been dozing off when he arrived.   
  
  
"How do you think?" He snarled as he undressed.   
  
  
Hermione just rolled her eyes at him and closed her eyes again. He got into bed and pulled her roughly to him, trying desperately to get rid of the fear that clutched him when he thought about Malfoy's threat.   
  
  
>>>   
  
  
Snape sat at his desk, for all intents and purposes looking as though her were marking papers. Though in reality, his mind couldn't be further from the third-year essays in front of him. He was in turmoil over what to do about Hermione. Since he returned from the revel the night before he had not slept at all. He had been unable to think of anything else but how to protect the woman he loved from those people he hated most.   
  
  
He had briefly considered telling her about the threat. But he knew that she would just tell him that she wasn't going to let Lucius win, that she was capable of looking after herself. Bloody Gryffindor courage, most of the time it seemed to override all of the good sense he knew she possessed.   
  
  
No, the only solution he could think of was to break it off with her. He would not tell her anything about Lucius's threat. He had to make her hate him and never want to speak to him again. The thought made his heart contract painfully but he consoled himself with the thought that even if she hated him at least she would be alive.   
  
  
Over the next few weeks Severus worked hard to distance himself from her. He avoided her almost completely in public, ensuring he arrived at meals early enough to be sitting where she couldn't sit near him by the time she arrived. In private he was more sarcastic and vile than ever in his treatment of her. The few times they had sex he was rough and didn't bother with her pleasure, just reached climax himself and then would return to his side of the bed pretending to promptly fall asleep.   
  
  
Severus's heart was breaking with the way he was treating her. She was being far more accepting of his behaviour than he would have expected. Yet, despite the importance of his plan, he couldn't bring himself to be worse. He would never have become violent with her, though he knew that would send her away in an instant. Instead he played the antagonist, criticising her research and orchestrating argument after argument.   
  
  
Finally, three weeks after he attended the dark revel at Malfoy Manor, she walked out on him never to come back. He had been antagonising her all day, picking on every little thing she did.   
  
  
"That IS right Severus. I may not have your experience in potions making but I do know what I'm doing. The wormwood needs to be added now." With those words Hermione added the wormwood to the potion she was working on.   
  
  
"You're still the same little know-it-all aren't you?" Snape sneered at her. "Far be it from me, a potions master, to try and help the perfect Miss Granger with her potion. No of course she knows better."   
  
  
It seemed that, that comment was the breaking point for Hermione. She rounded on him, her eyes flashing with rage.   
  
  
"What the hell is your problem Severus Snape? Ever since you got back from the last dark revel you have been intolerable." She shouted at him. Suddenly her voice softened slightly. "Did something happen?"   
  
  
"Nothing happened except that I realised perhaps having someone around to pleasure me might not actually be worth the annoyance."   
  
  
She scoffed at him slightly. "Are you trying to make me believe that our relationship is only about sex for you?"   
  
  
"I'm not trying to make you believe anything. What more did you think our relationship was than a means to achieve carnal pleasure?"   
  
  
"You must take me for an idiot. You know as well as I do that this is much more than just carnal pleasure as you so eloquently put it."   
  
  
He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm a Slytherin. Making you believe I loved you seemed the easiest means to the end. However I beginning to think that it just isn't worth the effort."   
  
  
"Oh no you don't. Just because you suddenly can't handle your feelings for me doesn't mean I am going to let you belittle our relationship like that."   
  
  
"Belittle our relationship? Are you not understanding me, child? We have no relationship!" He practically roared the last sentence.   
  
  
She shook her head, convinced that she had found the solution to his behaviour. "You are in love with me and we both know it. But fine, if you want to take the easy way out, I'll go and you can come and find me when you are willing to accept your feelings." She turned and started to leave the room.   
  
  
"I have no feelings for you. I am a pureblood wizard, I certainly would not reduce myself to falling in love with a mudblood. You are nothing more than a toy." He sneered at her.   
  
  
She turned back to him; her eyes had filled with tears but were still flashing in rage. "Don't you ever call me that again! I'm giving you one chance to take that back or I'm walking out the door and believe me, I won't be coming back."   
  
  
He didn't answer her. Just turned back to the desk and began clearing up. He didn't even look up as the door slammed behind her, although in reality all he wanted to do was run after her and take it all back. Tell her that Malfoy could go to hell and take her off somewhere where they would be safe until the war was over. But he didn't do it, he stayed where he was and tried in vain to ignore the ache in his chest.   
  
  
_ (end flashback) _   
  
  
Severus felt the still felt the pain of that last fight, of losing her, as strongly as he had then, even after all this time. Hermione had walked out that day and he had never seen her again. She had moved her research to 12 Grimmauld Place and he had studiously avoided visiting there to ensure they didn't run into each other.   
  
  
When Voldemort had fallen Severus had briefly considered contacting Hermione and telling her the truth, begging her forgiveness. But he hadn't, he had thought that by now she would have moved on with her life and be much better off without him. That was the official reasoning he used to himself, but deep inside he knew he just couldn't face the fear that she would reject him if he sought her out.   
  
  
>>>   
  
  
A/N   
  
  
Thanks to all my reviewers. Hope this chapter lived up to expectations…   
  
  
Serpena: Glad you liked it. I know my spelling and grammar wasn't so hot, sorry about that. I work part-time as editor for a magazine but can never seem to pick up my own mistakes, not sure why!   
  
  
Hedwig: I haven't finished the story yet, I've written large parts of it but still have to fill in the little details along the way.   
  
  
Pigwidgeon37: Thanks for pointing out about Nic's dialogue, I hadn't noticed it when I was writing, but when I read back over it I saw what you meant. I'll try to watch out for that in future chapters. Also you are right about drifting away from canon, it sometimes annoys me when other people do it so it's kind of hypocritical that I then do it!!   
  
  
Thanks also to everyone else who reviewed. Your comments mean a lot to me. - Zara10, AngelApple1, Starry-06, Jenbachand, Lady Nassah, Sammy, Kacie, GeekGoddess1, Celticwitch, Mjk306, Sharnie, Red Writing Hood, Dee Winston, Evilbon32 and Khaelne, Sarah, Amanda, Dragonsdaughter1, becka5 


	3. First day of classes

_Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans (Beautiful Boy, John Lennon)_   
  
  
**Chapter 3 – First Day of Classes**   
  
  
Snape made his way up to the high table for breakfast the next morning. Exhaustion showed on his features. He had not been able to sleep at all the night before; thoughts of Hermione had plagued him all night long.   
  
  
He took his usual seat next to Minerva McGonagall and glared at his plate in annoyance. It was only the first day of classes and already he felt in need of a holiday. Snape felt eyes on him and glanced around the great hall. His eyes came to rest on the Slytherin table and a pair of deep brown eyes that were observing quietly.   
  
  
"Who'd have thought Hermione Granger's son would end up in Slytherin" Minerva spoke suddenly from beside him, having noticed Severus observing the boy.   
  
  
Snape's head snapped around to look at her. "Herm… Miss Granger's son?" He said, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. Even though he had fleetingly thought about the possibility that Nicolas could be her son, he had honestly completely rejected it.   
  
  
"You didn't know? Oh dear. I just assumed… Severus, I'm sorry."   
  
  
"What is there to be sorry for Minerva? I was unaware she had a son and you took me by surprise. I had assumed he was a cousin of Miss Granger's."   
  
  
He stared at his plate for a while longer, picking vaguely at the food but not really eating anything. He didn't want to ask the question, didn't want to show Minerva his weakness. In the end he couldn't resist and turned back to Minerva.   
  
  
"The boy has Miss Granger's last name." Severus said. He barely even realised he hadn't actually asked a question. Minerva looked at him with a touch of confusion before a smile graced her features and her eyes took on a twinkle reminiscent of the previous headmaster's infamous twinkle.   
  
  
'Gods' Severus thought sourly. 'Perhaps that annoying twinkling thing is a requirement for any headmaster or headmistress. I'm sure Minerva never used to have that expression.'   
  
  
"I don't know who Mr Granger's father is Severus, if that is what you are asking. All I know is that she has never married and is not in a relationship with the father. Looking at him my guess would have to be Harry Potter, if it is someone we know." Minerva finally said.   
  
  
"Potter? I would have thought the boy-who-lived would have the decency to marry the girl if he got her pregnant. On second thoughts, he was never one for rules or responsibility when he was at school. Not taking responsibility for his bastard child is probably right up his street." Severus sneered, the distaste in his voice unmistakable.   
  
  
Minerva stiffened slightly upon the criticism of one of her favourite students but in the end let it pass. "Severus Mr Potter is gay. Knowing Hermione, even if he offered to marry her she would have turned him down based on that fact."   
  
  
Snape snorted and rose from the table. "Interesting, last I heard of him he was sleeping his way through all of the females at the Auror Academy. I guess he ran out of women so turned to the males."   
  
  
"You know that sleeping around rumour was just more rubbish made up by the Daily Prophet!" Minerva admonished him, but he didn't hear her as he had already swept out of the room.   
  
  
>>>   
  
  
Nicolas looked at the timetable he had just been given. He had double potions first with the Gryffindors. It looked like nothing had changed in that department since his mother was at school. Gryffindor and Slytherin always seemed to partnered together back then too. Nic had heard hundreds of stories from his mother, Harry and Ron about their potions classes, how Professor Snape had favoured the Slytherins and hated the Gryffindors, particularly Harry and friends.   
  
  
'Well,' Nic thought to himself, 'I'm in Slytherin so hopefully it won't be too bad'. He looked up at Professor Snape and considered the potions master thoughtfully. His mother had told him all about The Greasy Git, as Ron called him. Not everything his mum had told him was bad, he knew that they had a relationship just after she left school and that she had loved him very much. Nic didn't know exactly why their relationship had ended, his mother had told him she would explain it one day, all he knew was that it had ended on bad terms and they hadn't spoken a word since.   
  
  
Professor Snape's eyes met his for a minute before Professor McGonagall took his attention. Nic sighed and rose from the table. He needed to get to the Owlery to find Othello and send a quick note to his mum telling her he was in Slytherin. He should have done it last night but couldn't bring himself to. She would be disappointed; she had wanted him to be in Gryffindor or at least Ravenclaw. Her reaction would be nothing compared with Harry and Ron though, Nic could imagine them storming into Hogwarts demanding that he be resorted into Gryffindor. Nicolas allowed himself a small smile, his mum would make sure they were over it by the next time he saw them and she would definitely not allow them to come to the school and embarrass him.   
  
  
He reached the Owlery and found Othello. Grabbing a quill and piece of parchment out of his bag he scrawled a quick note.   
  
  
_Mum,   
  
Sorry I didn't write last night. I didn't have time. I'm in Slytherin.   
  
I've got double potions first with the Gryffindors. I'll write more later.   
  
Nic _   
  
  
Nicolas tied the note to Othello's leg and sent him on his way before hurrying down to the dungeons. He really didn't want to be late to his first class. He slid into the seat his new friend Jason Spice* had saved for him.   
  
  
"Where were you?" Jason asked him.   
  
  
Nic was about to answer when the door to the potions classroom banged open and Professor Snape swept into the room. He strode to the front of the room and began taking the register. Each time he came to a Gryffindor's name he would glance up and sneer at them, reinforcing what Nic had been told about Snape's hatred for Gryffindors.   
  
  
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potions making," Professor Snape started after he had finished taking the register. "There is very little foolish wand-waving in this class and many of you will hardly believe it is magic. I don't expect you to be able to really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind and ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."**   
  
  
Nicolas blinked in surprise. That sounded disturbingly like the speech Harry and Ron often mockingly imitated when they were in particularly silly moods while talking about Snape. Could he possibly still be using the exact speech he used when they were in first year?   
  
  
"So Mr Granger," Professor Snape barked, snapping Nic out of his reverie. "If you are anything like your mother I'm sure you will turn out to be an insufferable know-it-all too." Severus smirked as he saw Nicolas bawl his hands into fists and narrow his eyes into a glare. A very Gryffindor reaction, however the fact that he didn't speak up to defend himself or his mother showed that he did have some Slytherin in him, as he must have to have been sorted into the house.   
  
  
"A test perhaps?" Snape said silkily. "What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"   
  
  
Nicolas allowed himself a small smirk. He knew without a doubt that had been one of the questions he had asked Harry on Harry's first day. Then he frowned slightly, did that mean he reminded Professor Snape of Harry? The thought didn't particularly bother him except that it would probably make his life difficult, there was no-one Snape hated more than Harry as far as Nicolas knew.   
  
  
"You don't know the answer Granger? Well perhaps you got your brains, or lack of them, from your father's side then." Snape had by now convinced himself that Potter must be the boy's father; he could see a resemblance in the hair colour and boy's attitude.   
  
  
"I do know the answer sir." Nicolas spoke up quickly, debating whether or not he should respond to the crack about his father. "Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, sir." Quietly he added "And I'm told my father is very intelligent, that's why my mother fell in love with him." He honestly hadn't expected Professor Snape to hear, so was surprised when Snape responded.   
  
  
"I am not interested in your family history Mr Granger." Severus snapped. Although he had heard what Nicolas said, the pain of hearing him talking about Hermione being in love had stopped Severus from realising that from the way the sentence was worded it would appear Nicolas had never met his father.   
  
  
"It seems as though you are going to be exactly like your mother after all. Well then Mr Granger what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Snape said Nicolas' name with such distaste that Nicolas cringed. He knew the answer but decided maybe it would be better not to answer.   
  
  
"I don't know sir." Nicolas said looking down at the desk.   
  
  
Snape seemed satisfied. "Those ingredients are used for the Draught of the Living Dead, a very powerful sleeping potion. Perhaps you would know that if you deigned to open a textbook before you arrived here." Snape sneered at him as Nic quickly pulled out a quill and began taking notes.   
  
  
The potions lesson improved marginally after that for Nicolas. He was quite good at potions, his mother had let him assist her many times in the past, so Snape didn't have much to criticise. That didn't stop the huge number of barbed insults and sarcastic comments that flew his way throughout the lesson however.   
  
  
Nicolas sighed to himself as he packed up his books and left the room at the end of the lesson. It seemed as though being in Slytherin wasn't going to make Potions any easier for him than if he had been in Gryffindor.   
  
  
The rest his classes went much better for Nicolas. He was miles ahead of the rest of his class, Snape was right about him being similar to Hermione in that department. All of his teachers remembered his mother fondly and were perfectly friendly to him.   
  
  
Nicolas was a lot more reserved than Hermione had been and didn't go out of his way to show off his knowledge. He was much happier to sit quietly and only answer questions directed specifically at him. He did notice that the teachers seemed to direct any question the rest of the class couldn't answer to him. Most of the questions were pretty basic for him, although occasionally he chose not to answer so as not to make his new friends hate him for knowing everything.   
  
  
During Charms Professor Flitwick had been very excited to meet him. He had gone on and on about Nicolas' mother and how she had been his favourite student. At the end of the lesson Professor Flitwick had praised him and told him he seemed to be every bit as wonderful as his mother had been.   
  
  
All the attention actually made Nicolas feel a bit sick, and very embarrassed. He was a very reserved boy by nature and didn't enjoy being singled out in front of his classmates. He worried that his housemates wouldn't want to be friends with him if they thought he was too much of a swot. Jason didn't seem to be too worried about the attention he was receiving, though, which made Nic feel a bit better.   
  
  
"Hey Nic! You want to go to the library and do the potions essay before dinner?" Jason's voice broke into his musings.   
  
  
"Yeah I guess so. I can't believe Professor Snape assigned homework on the first day!" Nic replied   
  
  
"I know. No other teachers did. My dad warned me about him. I thought he was usually easier on his own house but he didn't seem to like you much." Jason gave him a slight grin.   
  
  
"He hated my mum and her friends at school. I guess he hates me because of that. Maybe if we get our essay done early he'll be a bit nicer to me!"   
  
  
They spent the next hour in the library working on their homework. Jason wasn't as naturally clever as Nicolas but he was very driven to succeed and willing to work for it. He confided to Nic that he wanted to be the Minister of Magic someday. Nic found this quite surprising, he had no idea what he wanted to do when he left school, it was seven years away after all. But he was glad he had found a friend who wouldn't make fun of him for being good in class or wanting to finish his homework.   
  
  
Once they had finished in the library they walked down to the Great Hall for dinner. Jason seemed to be in a great mood, he was talking a mile a minute, Nic wasn't even entirely sure what he was actually talking about.   
  
  
"Race you to the Great Hall!" Jason suddenly yelled before taking off at a sprint. Nic tore after him glad for the excuse to stretch his muscles a bit. His legs were longer than Jason's and he was steadily gaining on him. He skidded around the corner and ran smack into a person coming from the other direction.   
  
  
"Ooof." Nic grunted as he fell to the floor. "Sorry I wasn't…" he began, trailing off as he looked up and saw that he had run straight into Professor Severus Snape."   
  
  
"You weren't what Mr Granger? Looking where you were going? That much is painfully obvious. Ten points from Slytherin Mr Granger for running in the halls. I don't want to see you doing it again, I expect my Slytherin's to behave in a manner befitting the honour of our house." Snape's voice was barely a whisper.   
  
  
Nic picked himself up off the floor. "I'm sorry sir, it won't happen again."   
  
  
"It had better not. I will be keeping an eye on you Granger. If you are anything like Potter, and I expect you are, then I'm sure I will end up having to take more house points from Slytherin than I have in the past ten years. Bear in mind Mr Granger that it makes me very angry to have to take points from my own house, I expect Slytherin's to behave better than the idiots in the other houses." Snape said softly, his anger only barely under control. He couldn't stand this boy who reminded him of the woman he had loved and lost.   
  
  
By now Nicolas was angry too. He couldn't believe the unfairness of what he was hearing. He now realised exactly what Harry had gone through. Harry had been hated from the moment Snape laid eyes on him, not because of anything he had done, but because of who he was, the Boy-Who-Lived son of James Potter and. Now Nicolas was being hated by the same man just for being the son of a friend of Harry's. It didn't even make sense.   
  
  
"I am not my mother, sir. And I am most certainly not Harry Potter!" Nicolas' voice was very quiet. He rarely shouted when he was angry, just lowered his voice to a whisper and let the anger in his voice convey how he felt. "Though, better to be either of them than anything like you!" Nicolas' eyes widened in shock, he couldn't believe he had just said that. He certainly hadn't meant to. Oh god he was for it now.   
  
  
Snape's eyes flashed with anger. "What did you say boy?"   
  
  
"I'm sorry sir." Nic looked down at his feet, there wasn't anything he could say to get himself out of this.   
  
  
"You will have detention for the rest of the week starting tonight. Be at the potions classroom at 8pm. If I were you I would ensure not to be even a second late, for that would probably result in another week of detention." Snape swept away and Nic put his head in his hands.   
  
  
"Good one Nico. Now he's going to hate you for the rest of your life. You were supposed to make him like you, not hate you." Nic muttered to himself.   
  
  
Nic couldn't eat anything at dinner. He was feeling too miserable after his encounter with Snape. In the end he gave up and told Jason he had to go send a letter before his detention. Jason gave him a sympathetic smile, Nic had told him what happened.   
  
  
"Good luck. If you aren't back by midnight I'll send out a search party to collect your body." Jason said.   
  
  
Nic gave a weak grin. "That would be funny if it wasn't a possibility."   
  
  
Nic walked to the owlery and sat down outside to write a quick letter. He decided not to tell his mother what happened. She would not be impressed that he had a week of detention already. He wrote to Harry and Ron instead, they would understand and he knew they could be trusted not to tell his mother.   
  
  
_Harry and Ron,  
  
Mum probably already told you I got sorted into Slytherin. Sorry, I asked for Gryffindor but the hat said I belong in Slytherin.  
  
Professor Snape hates me, even though I'm in his house. He told me he expected me to be just like you guys. I accidentally said that at least I wasn't anything like him. He gave me a week of detention but I'm just glad he didn't hex me on the spot!  
  
I better go. He said if I was late I would have to do another week's detention.  
  
Nico   
  
PS. Don't tell mum, she'll go mad!   
  
PPS. Give Lilly a hug from me _   
  
  
He went into the owlery and tied the note to a school owl since Othello wasn't back yet.   
  
  
"Take this to Harry Potter please" he said to the owl.   
  
  
He exited the owlery and headed quickly down to the dungeon for his detention. As he reached the potions classroom he noticed with satisfaction that it was one minute to eight. He reached up his hand and knocked.   
  
  
"Enter" Snape's voice called from within.   
  
  
>>>   
  
A/N   
  
* I'm very sorry to any New Zealander's who are reading this. I'm a big sports fan and can't be bothered making up heaps of names for other students so will probably steal a lot of names from New Zealand sports people. For anyone who cares - Jason Spice is a rugby player. He plays halfback for the Hurricanes.   
  
** I have directly copied this speech from the Philosopher's Stone. After all I've already borrowed JK Rowling's characters, I may as well borrow one of my favourite Snape speech's from the book too! The questions he asks Nic are the same as the ones he asked Harry in Philosopher's Stone as well. Thought I would put this in even though I can guarantee everyone reading this story already recognised it!   
  
Thank you to all who have reviewed!! We'll have a bit from Hermione in the next chapter… 


	4. Detention

A/N Okay I know this has taken me forever to get out. I haven't abandoned the story, just had a severe case of writers block and a big intrusion of RL. I make no promises for how long it will be until I get the next chapter out. I have a lot on at the moment and am still having trouble with the direction I want this story to take. I'm hoping it will be less than a month though. With any luck it will be in about a fortnight, but as I said no promises.   
  
Thank you so much to all those who have reviewed. It was you guys that kept me from abandoning the story totally and I'll try very hard to update soon for you guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter…   
  
_ I called because i just need to feel you on the line  
Don't hang up this time  
And i know that it was me who called it over   
But i still wish you'd fought me to your dying day  
Don't let me get away  
(Split Screen Sadness, John Mayer)_   
  
**Chapter 4 – Detention**   
  
Nic hesitantly pushed the door to the potions classroom open. Professor Snape was sitting at his desk, leaning back in his chair with his hands steepled in front of him regarding Nic carefully.   
  
"Mr Granger" Snape drawled. "Tonight you will write me an essay on memory potions." He pointed at a desk that had a small stack of books on it. "I have selected a few texts for you to use. I expect you to write at least three feet."   
  
Nic stood staring at him for a moment. He had been expecting to scrub cauldrons or something, that was what Harry had told him was Snape's favourite detention activity. He quickly moved towards the desk and sat down, pulling a book of the top of the pile he flipped it open and began to read.   
  
~   
  
"So 'Mione, have you heard from Nic? A proud new Gryffindor is he?" Ron asked. Harry, Ron, Ginny and Justin had taken it upon themselves to keep Hermione company until she was used to Nicolas not being around. At the moment all four of them were at her house for dinner.   
  
"Yes, I got a letter from him this morning. But he isn't in Gryffindor." Hermione began carefully.   
  
"Not in Gryffindor?" Ron's face fell a bit before he brightened again. "I should have known, a Ravenclaw right? With his brains that's not really a surprise."   
  
"No not Ravenclaw either" Hermione said with a trace of a smile.   
  
"Hufflepuff?" Ron asked, desperation evident in his voice.   
  
The others were grinning now. Hermione had already told Ginny that Nic was in Slytherin and both Harry and Justin had figured it out when Hermione said no to Ron's guess of Ravenclaw.   
  
"No Ron, he's in Slytherin." Hermione said with a grin, amusement at Ron's reaction to the news damping her own disappointment somewhat.   
  
"Slytherin!" Ron howled. "So he's got to put up with the Greasy Git every day? Maybe we should go up there and tell McGonagall the hat got it wrong, make them move him into Gryffindor."   
  
"Ron!!" Harry snapped, shocked at his partner's insensitivity.   
  
"What? Oh." Ron realised his mistake. "Sorry 'Mione, I wasn't thinking. I just expected him to be in Gryffindor and the surprise…" he trailed of helplessly.   
  
"It's okay. I have to admit I was disappointed when I got his letter. But really we shouldn't be surprised. After all he is so like his father in every other way, why not his house as well." Hermione replied.   
  
"Did Nic say how he felt about being in Snape's house? It must be pretty strange for him after hearing these three idiots go on about him being the epitome of evil all the time." Ginny pointed at the three guys.   
  
"Hey come on, fairs fair. We have never said Snape is the epitome of evil. I think we have a little more sensitivity than that." Justin tried to defend them.   
  
"Sensitivity? You three? Yeah right!" Hermione snorted. "No, Nicky didn't say much, he had to get to class so he didn't say much except that he was in Slytherin and that his first class was double potions with Gryffindor. He will be alright though, we had a long talk before he left, sorted a few things out…"   
  
Before Hermione could continue there was a knocking at the window. She got up to let the owl in and reached out to untie the letter. But before she could the owl flew away from her and over to Harry.   
  
Harry untied the letter from the owl and read it, a slight frown crossing his features when he had finished.   
  
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked. "That was a Hogwarts Owl."   
  
"Nothing's wrong" Harry replied putting the letter into his pocket. "It's from Nic. He was just writing to say that he was in Slytherin."   
  
"Why did you look worried when you read it then?" Hermione challenged him, motherly instincts kicking in.   
  
"I'm not worried. He said Snape wasn't very nice to him that's all." Harry said. "Don't worry Hermione, he'll be fine. He's a strong kid, he'll be able to cope with Snape at his worst if he has to" he added, when he saw Hermione's apprehensive look.   
  
"I know he can handle it. After all he can't be worse to Nic than he was to us. He just shouldn't have to handle it that's all. I'm worried Nicky will be devastated if Snape hates him." Hermione said.   
  
"'Mione, Nic's in Slytherin. Snape's guaranteed to like him just for that." Ron said, cringing even as he thought about Nic being in Slytherin rather than Gryffindor.   
  
"Ron's right. Besides, Nic is a great kid. He could win over anyone. Snape won't hate him." Ginny added, wrapping her arms around Hermione who was still looking worried.   
  
Harry sat down and looked at Hermione apprehensively.   
  
"Mione. I was wondering.." He began then stopped. He ran his hand through his hair nervously.   
  
"Harry what is it? Did Nic say something else in his letter? You look like you think I'm going to bite your head off." The worry was apparent in Hermione's voice.   
  
"What? No he didn't say anything else." Harry seemed very distracted. "I was just wondering if maybe you should tell Snape the truth." His voice trailed off and he looked even more apprehensive.   
  
"The truth? After all this time? After everything I went through to keep it a secret?" Hermione practically exploded at him.   
  
Harry cringed and cursed himself for his stupidity at bringing this up when Hermione was already on edge. He should have waited until later. His eyes flicked to Ron and they shared a glance. Harry knew Ron agreed with him, they had discussed this topic often enough amongst themselves.   
  
"So you agree with him do you? Typical!" Hermione rounded on Ron after catching the glance between the two men she had grown up with.   
  
Ron cringed, his expression very similar to Harry's and looking amusingly like that of a naughty school boy. "Well we just think that maybe he deserves to know. What if he guesses, it would make him so angry, you know it would, and he might take it out on Nic" Ron said.   
  
"Besides, it might make him easier on Nic now" Harry added, more confident now that Ron had voiced his support.   
  
Hermione slumped into a chair and put her head in her hands. "It's not that I haven't thought about all that. I just wouldn't know how to go about it. I made the decision when Nic was born not to tell Severus that he had a son and I think I have to stick with that decision." She looked up at her friends, pleading with her eyes for them to agree with her. Both Ron and Harry immediately moved to her, to offer what comfort they could.   
  
"I know it's hard. But we are just worried that Snape will guess and react badly. Nicolas is so like him, how could he not figure it out?" Harry said putting his arms around Hermione.   
  
"I don't think he'll guess." Hermione said cuddling into Harry's warm embrace. "Nic is old for a first year. I would think he'll easily be the oldest in his year at Hogwarts, so unless Severus finds out when his birthday is he'll assume Nic's father has to be someone I slept with after we had already broken up."   
  
"But 'Mione, Nic's in Slytherin. Snape will find out when his birthday is. If he was in any of the other houses you might be alright. But Snape takes a big interest in his Slytherins, you know that." Ginny argued.   
  
"I know. But I had half suspected that Nic would end up in Slytherin so we made plans for that. Nic is going to pretend his birthday is later than it is, so everyone will assume he is younger than he actually is."   
  
"Nic's in on this plan?" Justin asked in surprise.   
  
"How does Nico feel about the plan?" Harry asked Hermione, his worry about Nicolas and Hermione clear on his face.   
  
"He understands. Well no, he doesn't understand, not really. He wants to know his father, obviously, but he accepts that the man who is his father is not an easy man to know and certainly not a man who will give love easily. He accepts that it's better if Severus doesn't know the truth."   
  
Harry and Ron exchanged another glance, this one went unnoticed by Hermione. All four of Hermione's friends were thinking the same thing. That yes, Nic was a bright kid, far too intelligent for his own good. But even the brightest of kid's wouldn't be thinking like that. Obviously Nic was going along with what his mother said out of the intense love he had for her, not because he understood or accepted anything.   
  
"Well 'Mione it's your decision." Ron said with a sigh. "But at least think about telling him, for Nic's sake. Give him a chance to know his father as his father rather than someone who hates him because of who his mother is and who his father might be. If Snape reacts badly, Nic won't be in any worse a situation than he is now right?"   
  
"If it were that simple I might consider it Ron. But it's not. At least this way Nic has hope and can believe that if I'd let him tell Severus he'd have a father. If I tell Severus and he reacts badly Nic will be left with nothing except the knowledge that his father didn't want him. I don't want to put him through that." Hermione said tears welling in her eyes.   
  
"We never thought about it like that. Maybe you're right, I just don't know anymore." Harry gave Hermione one last squeeze then stood up. "But one thing I do know is that I'm starving and that food smells delicious, let's eat!"   
  
Hermione gave a hiccoughing laugh as she fought back her tears. "I should have known you wouldn't be able to forget about your stomach for long." She exclaimed and stood to begin serving their dinner.   
  
For the rest of the evening the five friends talked about anything but whether Hermione was right in keeping Nic from Severus. But the topic was never far from their minds. It was an argument long discussed between them from the time Hermione had discovered she was pregnant. No matter how much her friends disagreed with her decision they would support her because they were her friends and that was what Hermione needed most from them.   
  
~   
  
Nic had been working for hours on the assignment Professor Snape had given him. Snape hadn't spoken a single word to him since he began and the silence was stifling to Nicolas. He wanted to speak to Professor Snape, to apologise for what he had said. Although he had meant it at the time he didn't mean it, not really. Somehow though he didn't think Professor Snape would appreciate an apology, it would probably just be better if he didn't mention the incident at all, pretend as though it hadn't happened.   
  
Nic glanced at his watch, it was eleven-thirty and he had written just under four feet of parchment, so he guessed that meant he was finished and could go. He looked up at where Snape was sitting at his desk and wondered if he should say he was finished or just wait until Snape told him to leave. Perhaps feeling Nicolas's gaze upon him Snape glanced up. His eyes narrowed into a glare as his eyes met Nic's.   
  
"Are you finished?" He snapped.   
  
"Yes sir." Nicolas stammered standing up and taking the parchment to Snape.   
  
"I thought I asked you to write three feet." Snape said after glancing at what Nic had written.   
  
"You did sir." Nic said, wondering if he had missed something, his parchment was definitely well over three feet in length.   
  
"Then why did you not obey my instruction?"   
  
"Sir, I wrote almost four feet." Nic's confusion was clear in his voice.   
  
"Exactly!" Professor Snape said angrily, sounding as though he thought they had resolved something.   
  
"Sir?" Nic couldn't for the life of him understand why Professor Snape seemed so angry. He had done what he was asked to do hadn't he?   
  
"I asked you to write three feet and you wrote four. That was not the instruction. Showing off I take it?"   
  
"No sir. Memory charms is a big topic, I couldn't fit everything into three feet." Nic struggled to defend himself even though he didn't entirely understand what he had done wrong.   
  
"So you presume to know more than me now do you? If I wanted you to write four feet I would have asked you to write four feet. Next time I give you an assignment I expect you to complete it to the guidelines I specify or I will make you do the assignment again. Is that clear?" Snape asked.   
  
"Yes sir." Nic said. There wasn't really much else he could say.   
  
"Well get going then. I don't want to waste the last of my night looking at you." Snape said and Nic didn't waste any time doing as he was told.   
  
Severus shook his head after Nicolas had left. He had been unfair to the boy and he knew it. From the quick glance he had given Nic's work the boy had done an excellent job on the essay and he was right, three feet wasn't enough to get all the information about memory charms. But Severus had been angry, Nicolas reminded him so strongly of Hermione and what he had lost when he gave her up that even seeing Nic made him totally irrational.   
  
Ever since he had first heard Nicolas's name and first laid eyes on the boy he had been unable to think of anything but Hermione. He had been reliving their short relationship over and over again in his head. Thinking of all the things he should have done differently, all of the things he wished he could have said. He didn't understand himself, he was certainly not one for sentimentality yet all of his thoughts currently were sentimental ones. Even worse was the feeling that being around Nic and watching Nic gave him. Although the boy made him irrational and he couldn't stop himself from snapping every time he spoke to him, there was something about him that in some sense calmed him. He hated the boy with a passion for everything he represented but he also felt a strange pull towards him. He had caught himself looking for Nic among the Slytherin's at breakfast this morning. Snape shook his head again, none of it made any sense. He was practically contradicting himself Nicolas made him irrational but also calmed him? How the hell was that supposed to work?   
  
"Great so now you're becoming senile. One minute you hate the boy, the next you want to know where he is" He muttered to himself angrily and opened the door to his chambers. Hermie greeted him warmly and Severus scooped her into his arms.   
  
"What am I going to do Hermie." He asked the cat tiredly. "I can't go on like this. I need to do something to forget her, or at least to put her out of my mind for more than a minute at a time."   
  
Hermie just blinked at him and gave a loud purr.   
  
"I should have known you'd be no help." He said, but his voice held no malice at all. His cat was the one living thing he could let all his defences down with. Sarcasm had no effect on the cat so there was no point in using it. Snape found he had better conversations with his cat than with any person he knew, even if the cat didn't talk back. Or perhaps because of that.   
  
Severus sat down on the bed heavily and scratched Hermie under the chin. "I know that it was me who ended our relationship so I should have been able to put her out of my mind years ago. But I can't help resenting the fact that she didn't fight for me, didn't contact me, didn't try to stop me acting like such a prat. I guess it really was just a moment of teenage lust for her.   
  
Severus lay back against his pillows and stared at the ceiling. "Or maybe I fooled her enough that she believed I couldn't change, that she believed I was telling the truth when I said she was just a toy. I don't know, but if I could go back in time and change things I would Hermie, I really would." With that he drifted off into a fitful sleep filled with dreams of Hermione.   
  
~   
  
Nicolas walked sleepily into the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning. As he glanced up at the high table he wasn't surprised to see the glare of Severus Snape fixed upon him. As he took his seat Jason grinned at him.   
  
"So he didn't kill you after all!"   
  
"Thankfully no. Not like you would have been much help. Thought you were going to send for help if I didn't come back, not fall asleep!" Nic responded with a quick grin.   
  
"Yeah sorry. I was reading a book my mother sent me and must have fallen asleep. So what did he make you do?"   
  
"An essay on memory charms. Not too bad actually." Nic decided to leave out the finer details of the detention and Snape's unfair treatment of him. Despite how he had been treated Nic still felt a small sense of loyalty towards him.   
  
One of the sixth-year students had been listening to the conversation and leaned across the table.   
  
"Nicolas Granger right? I'm Aaron Mauger." Aaron stuck out his hand and Nic shook it warily.   
  
"So I hear you got detention from Professor Snape on your first day. That's quite an achievement. What did you do? It takes a lot for Professor Snape to give detention to Slytherin's." Aaron commented.   
  
"I was running down the hall and crashed into him." Nic replied, leaving out the small matter of the stupid comment he had made. He didn't want everyone in Slytherin house to think he was a complete idiot.   
  
"He gave you detention for that?" Aaron asked incredulously. "Wow you must have caught him at a really bad time. I wouldn't even expect him to take points for that from one his own. Bad luck mate." With that Aaron turned back to the conversation he had been having with one of the other sixth-years.   
  
Jason looked at Nic with a funny expression on his face. "Well I think when it comes to you Professor Snape might always be having a bad day. He's still glaring at you!" he said softly.   
  
Nic glanced up at the high table again and sure enough Snape's glare hadn't moved. "Yeah. I wonder if Professor McGonagall will let me change houses." Nic was only half joking.   
  
"Dunno. But if he's nicer to us because we are in his house imagine how he'd be with you if you were in another house." Jason pointed out.   
  
Nic put his head in his hands. "I don't think it could be much worse."   
  
"Well on the bright side we have flying this morning! I can't wait!" Jason said a grin breaking out on his face again.   
  
"Oh I had forgotten about that. Awesome!" Nic couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face at the thought of flying.   
  
~   
  
Severus watched as Nic came into the Great Hall. He couldn't help but glare at the boy. His sleep the night before had been horrible and had put him in a worse mood than normal. Because he had fallen asleep without even undressing he hadn't taken a dreamless sleep potion so had spent all night dreaming of Hermione. He guessed in many ways dreams of Hermione were preferable to the nightmares of death, torture and his years as a deatheater that he would have expected. That didn't make the hurt any less though. He had hated to wake up that morning and realise he had just been dreaming, that he and Hermione were still worlds apart and unlikely to ever be close again.   
  
As Severus watched Nic started to laugh at something his friend Jason had said. The sight made Severus shudder in anger, how could the boy be so happy when he himself was so unhappy? Even as he thought it he knew it was a totally unreasonable response, Severus's happiness meant nothing to Nicolas. Yet knowing he was being unreasonable didn't reduce the feeling at all. He took a quick gulp of his coffee and swept out of the Great Hall, casting one last glare at Nicolas Granger as he left. 


End file.
